Lawyer Isaac Minta Larbi, Chairman of the Eastern Regional Legal Team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged members of the party nationwide to keep close eyes on the upcoming vote transfer exercise by the Electoral Commission and more importantly ensure that they stop any gerrymandering attempt by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
His comments comes after the Electoral Commission of Ghana has officially declared that from October 3 to October 9, 2023, it will conduct a crucial vote transfer exercise.
According to the Commission, this initiative is designed to enable eligible voters to relocate their polling station preferences from one constituency to another, ensuring they can participate in the democratic process in their current place of residence.
He added that “unfortunately, during this period is the time some people pursue their machinations and manipulations in order to achieve electoral victories which are not possible without the manipulations and machinations.”
He further called on all agents and executives of the NDC to open their eyes very wide during this upcoming EC vote transfer exercise and stop any attempts by the NPP to bus people from different places to their constituencies for the purposes of getting them to vote there during election 2024.
Below is his full press release;
KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE UPCOMING VOTE TRANSFER AND STOP ANY GERRYMANDERING ATTEMPTS BY THE NPP.
The Electoral Commission has announced that from the 3rd October to 9th October 2023 it’ll be embarking on vote transfer.
This would allow people to transfer their votes from one polling station in a constituency to another constituency.
All those who relocated from one place to another in Ghana would have the opportunity to transfer their votes so they can vote in the new place they find themselves.
People relocate to different places due to different reasons such as for jobs, for accommodation, for family and even sometimes for health reasons.
All these people after relocation cannot go back to where they use to live but must be allowed to vote so this is the process which allows them to move their votes from where they used to live and vote to the new place they are so they can vote there.
The right to vote is paramount as enshrined in our constitution so nothing must be done to hinder anyone from voting.
Thus this process of vote transfer ensures the respect for people’s right to vote and preserves it by making sure that wherever people are they can exercise their right to vote.
Unfortunately, during this period is the time some people pursue their machinations and manipulations in order to achieve electoral victories which are not possible without the manipulations and machinations.
This is what we call gerrymandering. It is the process of intentionally moving people in a clandestine manner from one place to another with the motive of getting them to vote for a particular person or political party during an election.
This way they move as many people as they need in order to get the results they are looking for at the end of the elections.
Over the years the NPP has demonstrated that they are very good at this.
Whilst the NDC as a party focuses on being fair, our opponent the NPP doesn’t believe in anything called fairness.
They would do whatever it takes to get the results they are looking for whether fair or foul.
For this reason I am calling on all agents and executives of the NDC party to open their eyes very wide during this upcoming EC vote transfer exercise and stop any attempts by the NPP to bus people from different places to their constituencies for the purposes of getting them to vote there during election 2024.
We are aware that the NPP has targeted some constituencies which they believe they can manipulate the vote transfer process hoping they can turn the seat in their favor by winning it.
We know all those areas and we have trained our people to be ready. However, in addition to the proper training we have given our officers, I am by this medium advising and asking all of our agents and executives to be available during this vote transfer exercise and challenge anyone who doesn’t live in the constituencies but have been bused from different places to do the transfer.
December 2024 elections is a must win for the NDC so we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that and nothing else.
We must therefore stop all the machinations and manipulations of the NPP especially the manipulation of State institutions.
We know that some of their machinations is during this electoral process and we must take steps to stop them.
Lawyer Isaac Minta Larbi
Chairman
Eastern Legal Team, NDC.
